Immunizing Your Children

Immunization is the process of boosting a healthy person's immune system using vaccines (shots).

The immune system is the body's defense against germs that make us sick.

Vaccines help protect against serious illnesses that have harmful effects in infants, children, and adults.

Over the past 100 years, vaccines have greatly improved.

Vaccines work by putting a small amount of weakened germs into a healthy person. The body attacks these germs and is then able to "remember" them. This makes the body immune to that germ and its effects on
the body.

Children need to have a number of vaccines before they start school.

Some illnesses that vaccines protect against are measles, mumps, rubella, pneumonia, chicken pox, and polio. Other illnesses that vaccines protect against include:

• Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) causes liver disease and is passed through bowel movements.

• Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) also causes diseases of the liver that can lead to scarring of the liver and liver cancer. This is the first vaccine a baby receives because HBV can be passed from mother to infant.

• Rotavirus causes severe diarrhea and vomiting in infants and can last 3 to 8 days.

• Diphtheria causes a grayish colored phlegm that covers the throat and nose making it hard to breath.

• Tetanus can be spread easily from skin wounds, like cuts and scrapes, and makes the person's muscles tighten putting them in a lot of pain.

• Whooping cough makes it hard to breathe and causes a loud, severe cough.

It is important to keep a record of your child's vaccines.

See your child's health care provider for more information.